Bearing



Aug. 8, 1933- A. G. F. WALLGREN ET AL ,958

BEARING Filed Oct. 18, 1932 Patented Aug.8,1933 p 1,921,958

BEARING August Gunnar Ferdinand Wallgren and Carl Gustaf Janson, Stockholm, Sweden, assignors to Aktiebolaget Nomy, Stockholm, Sweden, a Corporation of Sweden Application October 18, 19 32, Serial 638,309, and

in Sweden January 13, 1931 10 Claims. (Cl. 30873) Our invention relates to bearings employing a wedge-shaped spaces are formed in which loadplurality of blocks, and more particularly to sustaining liquid films are produced. bearings having curved sliding surfaces. While .In order to obtain proper operation of bearings not limited to the type of bearing therein disof this kind, it is necessary to have play between closed, reference may be had'to Wallgren U. S. the stationary a d o ating slidin aees- It 60 Pat. No. 1,871,485, granted August 16, 1932, as has been proposed to obtain this play in two showing an example of bearing to which the pres- Ways: g ent inv nti i a li bl (l) The spherical surface or surfaces which The invention will be described in conjunction constitute the rotating sliding surface of the ith the accompanying drawing forming part of bearing have been made with a smaller radius 65 this specification and of which; than the stationary sliding surface to an extent Fig. 1 is an axial cross-sectional view of a bear- Corresponding to e desired p y; ing embodying the invention, taken on the line 42) The ro in li i sur aces of the blocks of Fig. 1; are formed on the same radius as the stationary Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on Sliding Surface, the blocks being Supported 91770 the line 11-11 of Fi 1; such distance with respect to the stationary slid- Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional View of a ce u that the d i d p a betweenthe bearing illustrating the invention and may be Shdlhg Surfaces s been Obtmned.

said to be taken on the line III-III of Fig. 4; n'the first case Stated, t Sperieal u Fig 4 is transverse sectioned View taken on have concentric relationship. This concentric 75 the line IV IV of Fi 3; relationship is, however, not maintained when the 5 is a View Similar to Fig 3, howing bearing operates, and it will be clear that when modification, and may be said tobe taken on the the g g t th l p at adt w fl i line f pi and came su s an 1a y on e m1 e par 5 o e Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view'taken on bldcks bearing against the middle P of the 80 the line VI VI f Fig a stationary sliding surface. That is, the load The bearing comprises a plurality of bearing will be sustained by surfaces which are in conblocks 2 tiltably supported on a ring element 3, tact Substantially only at a Q The Play which is an inner member of the bearing aggrea e P P J the sld es of h a gate and which may be termed'a driving memthat? m a n may ber or driving ring. Ring 3 is secured to the ven1eni1;, particularly with bearings of great width shaft 4 in any desired manner. The bearing in- 322;; z fi g i gf 5 531 23,; gi g 2 53 2: eludes Outer member 5% whlch ls stanonary bricants, inasmuch as the oil has a tendency to and 1S P P suppforted and the ms1de Surjace flow outwardly in axial direction from the wedgeof which sphel'lcal and P- F shaped spaces between the sliding surfaces. This tionary shdmg surface. The driving ring 3 1S disadvantage has been apparent p t -1 p d with abutments 11 Which Permit and when starting rotation before the'load-sustainlimit peripheral movement of the blocks relative ing 11 films are as t et; up, as the lo d i uch 40 to the driving ring. Also the driving ring is procase is concentrated on small bearing surfaces.

vided with axially extending grooves 8 which to In order to eliminate the above disadvantage gether with the surfaces 9 form bearing shoulders it as been P p to Construct the bearing in a and against one or the other f which the acordance with the second case above mentioned.

supporting surfaces 10 of the blocks will bear In this case whel} Y bearing is not rotating when the blocks are brought into motion due to a large load'sust-ammg bearing surface is pres rotation of the driving ring and its abutments 11. em p g h Sliding Surfaces and t the In the direction of rotation indicated by the f famhtated. Thls cons.tmct1n arrow in Fig. 2 the blocks adjust themselves so pmduced a dlstdva'ntage m.that adhe that the forward t f th ti sion forces of such magnitude may arise between- 106 5.0 par 0 Suppor ng su the cooperating sliding surfaces of the blocks face 10, considered in the direction of rotation t t th andthe stationary part of the bearing that the en ers in 0 e corresponding groove 3, the block blocks do not leave the stationary spherical surm this manner being supported at shoulder a.

V face when they pass through the unloaded zone Between the sliding surfaces 7 of the blocks and of the bearing. This may, 'under certain load the stationary sliding surface 6 the characteristic conditions, cause shocks between the blocks and no their supporting surfaces when the blocks again enter into the loaded zone of the bearing and again are caused to bear against the supporting surfaces. Such shocks may cause undesirable noise and furthermore may cause deformation of the supporting surfaces and thereby decrease the effective operation of the bearing.

The above described disadvantages are eliminated by the present invention, in accordance with which the block sliding surfaces and the corresponding sliding surface of the race are formed with equal radii of curvature in axial direction, that is, in an axial plane, but with different radii of curvature in peripheral direction, that is, in a plane transverse to the axis of rotation. By giving the sliding surfaces the same radii of curvature in axial direction, the axially extending plays above stated as a disadvantage are avoided, while the adhesion of the blocks to the race is prevented due to the different radii of curvature in peripheral direction.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the bearing blocks 2 are indicated by dash-and-dot lines as in their middle positions, that is, in the positions in which they contact both surfaces a and b.

It is also assumed that the bearing is not rotating and that there is a downwardly directed-load, wherefore the rotating and stationary sliding surfaces are in contact at the bottom part of the hearing. The play shown at the upper part of the bearing, therefore, is twice the play with the parts centered. This double: play has been designated as 20.

. blocks is less than the radius r: of the stationary sliding surface 6. The stationary sliding surface "6 in this case is of true spherical form, that is,

with the same radius of curvature in all directions.

It will be evident from Fig. 3 that if the bearing is constructed in this manner, a large effective bearing surface is provided when the bearing is not rotating, the rotating sliding surface contacting the stationary sliding surface across the whole width of the bearing. From Fig. 3 it also is clear that the play between the respective sliding-surfaces does not increase in axial direction, wherefore the disadvantage above described with reference to such construction is eliminated.

Since the rotating sliding surface that is, the block surfaces 7, have a smaller radius of curvature, than the stationary sliding surface 6 in peripheral relation, the disadvantage of adhesion of the blocks to the stationary surface above brought out is eliminated. The difference in size between the radius of curvature of the rotating and stationary sliding surfaces in peripheral direction may be given any desired value by'varying the position of the supporting surfaces a, b and 10, respectively, relative to the axis of rotation.

Figs; 5 and 6 illustrate another embodiment of the invention. The figures correspond to Figs. 3 and 4, being likewise schematic and likewise exaggerating the amount of play'for purposes of illustration. The blocks and thedriving ring have also in this case been indicated only by dash-and-dot lines and the blocks are in their mid-positions. In this embodiment the sliding 6 formed in the stationary part of the block has been provided with'different radii of curvature in peripheral and axial directions while the radii of curvature of the block sliding surfaces have the same value in all directions. It will be evident that the axial radii of curvature as shown by Fig. 5 are independent of the peripheral radii of curvature as shown in Fig. 6 and in certain cases it may be preferable, for example, for sustaining great axial loads with bearings of small width, to give the sliding surfaces smaller axial than peripheral radii of ourvature. So far as possible, the axial radii of curvature ought to have their centers adjacent to the axis of the bearing so that the load-sustaining oil films produced between the sliding surfaces arenot unfavorably influenced by lack of alignment, for example, of the 'journal shaft.

In constructing hearings in accordance with this invention we prefer to include the improvements set forth in the following applications, the disclosures ofwhich may be considered as incorporated in this application: JansonSerial- No. 479,621, filed September 4, 1930; Wallgren Serial No. 544,767, filed'June 16, 1931; Wallgren Serial No. 591,467, filed February 8, 1932; and Wallgren SerialNo. 612,447, filed May 20, 1932.,

It will be clear that'the invention is not limited to the embodiments specifically disclosed.

What we claim is: r v

1. A radial bearing comprising inner and outer members and a plurality of bearing blocks therebetween, said blocks and one of said members having cooperating irregular surfaces to cause the blocks to tilt to produce wedge-shaped oil spaces, said blocks and the other of said members having sliding surfaces, said sliding surfaces having radii of curvature which are equal in an axial plane and unequal in a transverse plane, and means to permit and limit shift of position between said blocks and said one of said members.

2. A radial bearing comprising inner and outer members and a plurality of bearing blocks therebetween, said blocks and one of said members having cooperating irregular surfaces to cause the blocks to tilt to produce wedge-shaped oil spaces, said blocksand the other of said members having sliding surfaces, said sliding surfaces having radii of curvature which are equal in an axial plane and unequal in a transverse plane, the radii of curvature of the blocks being the same in the axial and transverse planes, and means to permit and limit shift of position between said blocks and said one of said members.

' 3. A radial bearing comprising inner and outer members and a plurality of bearing blocks therebetween, 'said blocks and said inner member having cooperating irregular surfaces to cause the blocks to tilt'to produce wedge-shaped oil spaces, said blocks and said outer member having sliding surfaces, said sliding surfaces having 135 radii of curvature which are equal in an axial plane and unequal in a transverse plane, the radiiof-curvature of said outer member being the same in the axial plane and the transverse planes, and means to permit and limit shift of position between said blocks and said inner member.

4. A bearing of the radial type comprising an inner member, an outer member spaced radially from the inner member, a plurality of bearing blocks having operative positions between said members, said inner member and said blocks having adjacent cooperating irregular'surfaces for causing rotation in one direction to tilt the blocks 150 one way and .rotation in the other direction to tilt the blocks the other way, the outer member and said blocks having adjacent cooperating curved bearing surfaces, said bearing surfaces having radii of curvature which are equal in an axial plane and unequal in a transverse plane, and means for permitting and limiting shift of position between said blocks and said inner member.

5. A bearing of the radial type comprising an inner member, an outer member spaced radially from the inner member, a plurality of bearing blocks having operative positions between said members, said inner member and said blocks having adjacent cooperating irregular surfaces for causing rotation in one direction to tilt the blocks one way and rotation in the other direction to tilt the blocks the other way, the outer member and said blocks having adjacent cooperating curved bearing surfaces, said bearing surfaces having radii of curvature which are equal in an axial plane and unequal in a transverse plane, and means for permitting and limiting shift of position between said blocks and said inner member, the radii of curvature of the block surfaces being the same in the axial plane and the transverse plane.

6. A bearing of the radial type comprising an inner member, an outer member spaced radially from the inner member, a plurality of bearing blocks having operative positions between said members, said inner member and said blocks having adjacent cooperating irregular surfaces for causing rotation in one direction to tilt the blocks one way and rotation in the other direction to tilt the blocks the other way, the outer member and said blocks having adjacent cooperating curved bearing surfaces, said bearing surfaces having radii of curvature which are equal in an axial plane and unequal in a transverse plane, and means for permitting and limiting shift of position between said blocks and said inner memher, the radii of curvature of the surface of the outer member being the same in the axial plane and the transverse plane.

7. A radial bearing comprising spaced bearing members and a bearing block therebetween, one of said members being grooved to form a hearing shoulder and said block having a bearing surface cooperating with said shoulder to tilt the block, said one of said members having a surface for contacting said block to carry the block in rotation therewith, the other of said members and said bearing block having curved surfaces, the radii of curvature of the respective surfaces being equal in an axial plane and unequal in a transverse plane.

8. A radial bearing comprising spaced bearing members and a bearing block therebetween, one of said members being grooved to form a bearing shoulder and said block having a bearing surface cooperating with said shoulder to tilt the block, said one of said members having a surface for contacting said block to carry the block in rotation therewith, the other of said members and said bearing block having curved surfaces, the radii of curvature of the respective surfaces being equal in an axial plane and unequal in a transverse plane, the block surface being truly spherical.

9. A radial bearing comprising spaced bearing members and a bearing block therebetween, one of said members being curved to form a bearing shoulder and said block having a bearing surface cooperating With said shoulder to tilt the block, said one of said members having a surface for contacting said block to carry the block in rotation therewith, the other of said members and said bearing block having curved surfaces, the radii of curvature of the respective surfaces being equal in an axial plane and unequal in a transverse plane, the curved surface of said one of said members being truly spherical.

10. A radial bearing comprising spaced bearing members and bearing blocks therebetween, one of said members and said blocks having tilting shoulders, said one of said members having a surface for contacting said blocks to guide them peripherally, and the other of said members and said blocks having co-operating curved sliding surfaces, the radii of curvature of the respective sliding surfaces being equal in an axial plane and unequal in a transverse plane.

AUGUST GUNNAR FERDI- NAND WALLGREN. CARL GUSTAF JANSON. 

